Checkerboard with recessed squares and pieces disposable therein



Sept. 29, 1910 M.IPEEBLES 3,531,123

D. CHECKERBOARD WITH RECESSED SQUARES AND PIECES DISPOSABLE THEREIN Filed Feb. 23, 1968 INVENTOR DAVID MEADE PEEBLES low m ATTORNEY Eva-m 4 United States Patent O 3,531,123 CHECKERBOARD WITH RECESSED SQUARES AND PIECES DISPOSABLE THEREIN David Meade Peebles, 325 Marcy Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. 20021 Filed Feb. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 707,677 Int. Cl. A63f 3/02 U.S. Cl. 273-136 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game board and set of player pieces for playing checkers or the like, characterized by the formation of rectangular recesses in the playing surface of the board at the numerous game playing positions. The player pieces have cylindrical projections which loosely interfit with the recesses to position the pieces on the board and preventing accidental sliding. The construction enables playing the game in moving vehicles and playing by handicapped people, small children and others who may lack the proper coordination for using conventional game apparatus. The player pieces may be imprinted with the alphabet letters for educational purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is a distinct need for a game apparatus of the checker type which will allow the very young, the aged, and certain handicapped or retarded individuals to learn and play the game. In this connection, the apparatus possesses a degree of educational and therapeutic value. The apparatus also facilitates playing the game on a moving conveyance.

The prior art does not propose any simple and economical device for the above purposes and the objective of the invention is to satisfy the need which exists in the art by the provision of a simplified game apparatus for the specified purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A game board is constructed from two layers or plies of sufficiently rigid material which are bonded together into a plate-like unit. The upper layer is precut or punched to form openings therethrough which constitute playing surface recesses on the top face of the composite board. The two plies or layers may be contrastingly colored to provide a checkered design for the playing surface. Checkers or similar game pieces, with or without alphabetical printing, have bottom projections and top recesses to facilitate stacking and the projections inter-engage with the recesses of the game board to prevent unwanted sliding of the checkers thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view-of a game apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the apparatus; and

FIG. 3 is an additional perspective view showing a modification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, the numeral designates a checker board or the like in its entirety comprising top and bottom layers or plies 11 and 12 of Masonite, wood or other sufficiently rigid suitable material. The plies 11 and 12 may be cut to the desired square shape and the upper surface of the lower ply 12 is colored as at 13 to provide on the completed board the necessary uniformly colored spaces, squares or position areas for the checkers, which are shown at 14.

The upper ply 11 is preformed or cut to produce therein a plurality of square openings 15 with the proper spacing to produce the well-known checker board pattern. The two plies or layers are suitably bonded together in assembly and the openings 15 then form recesses in the top playing surface of the board 10, the recesses being square and of uniform depth. The bottoms 16 of these recesses are constituted by the top uniformly colored face of the lower ply 12 so as to conveniently and economically produce the desired checker board pattern, the top ply 11 being of a contrasting color, such as red on black.

The game pieces or checkers 14 are preferably circular and include reduced bottom projections 17 which fit rather loosely into the square recesses 15 of the board, the larger body portions of the checkers remaining on the top face of the board and being somewhat larger than the width of each square recess. Cooperating shallow recesses 18 are suitably formed in the top of each checker to receive the projection 17 of another checker when a pair of checkers are stacked to make a king. The purpose of this arrangement and the purpose of the projection 17 interfitting with each recess 15 is to position the checkers securely and prevent unwanted thereof on the board. However, the construction shown does not interfere with the normal movements of the checkers during the playing of the game.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the game board, the recesses 15 and the checkers 14 are made larger than the conventional size to facilitate usage by small children and certain handicapped individuals.

In the slight modification shown in FIG. 3, the identical game board 10, above-described, may be employed and the checkers 14' may be constructed in the same manner previously described. However, as shown, for educational purposes, the letters of the alphabet are suitably inscribed or imprinted or molded upon the top faces of the checkers in large clear type so as to be readily readable by small children. If preferred, the checkers 14 may be completely flat on their top faces to facilitate printing the letters 19 thereon. In all other respects, the invention in FIG. 3 is identical to the invention in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The advantages and utility of the game apparatus should now be readily apparent without the necessity for further description.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

1. A checker game apparatus comprising a gameboard having two superposed laminated layers of substantially stiff material, the lower layer having a color contrasting to the color of the top face of the upper layer, the upper layer provided with plural spaced rectangular openings arranged to produce a checkerboard pattern and exposing a like number of areas of the lower layer to view. said openings forming game piece positioning recesses 11']. the top of the gameboard, and a plurality of checker game pieces, each checker game piece having a bottom cylindrical projection for loose fitting engagement into any of said recesses on the game board and also having a top recess to receive the bottom projection of another checker game piece whereby two game pieces may be stacked while in interengaging relation, and each checker game piece having a main cylindrical body portion larger in 4 diameter than said bottom projection and overlying the 2,273,932 2/1942 Caesar. top surface of the gameboard and being somewhat larger 3,434,719 3/ 1969 Fyanes. in diameter than the width between sides of said rec- FOREIGN PATENTS tangular openings.

181,632 6/1922 Great Britain.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,308 11/1892 Watt. US. Cl. X.R. 663,249 12/1900 Whitman. 273-131 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner 

